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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cap · squash · mouse · key · bowl · spell · court · vault

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. spell — a short time
  3. court — for sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. key — the most important part
  6. court — of law
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. spell — magic
  9. squash — to crush
  10. key — in music
  11. spell — letters
  12. vault — a safe
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — a hat
  17. court — of a king
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. key — for a lock
  24. squash — the sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com